Packer scores 32 to help Ohio State women down Wisconsin

COLUMBUS — While the New York Giants-Green Bay Packers game was on the minds of most Wisconsin sports fans Sunday, another Packer was Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone’s concern in the Badgers’ game with No. 16 Ohio State. “It was Packer’s day. No pun intended,” Stone said said. The Buckeyes’ Marscilla Packer made six 3-pointers on the way to tying her career high with 32 points to lead Ohio State to a 79-74 victory over fading Wisconsin. Packer had 20 points in the second half and freshman center Jantel Lavender 10 of her 21 in the second to extend a winning streak to six for Ohio State (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten). Lavender also had 13 rebounds for her 10th double-double. Shavelle Little added 11 points for the Buckeyes. “I don’t want to say ‘Go Pack’ because Marscilla Packer had an excellent day; a great individual performance by her,” Stone said. While impressed with Packer’s shooting, Ohio State Jim Foster pointed out she was not alone. “There’s a lot of components to our team,” Foster said. “I don’t think we’re one dimensional. We don’t have to rely on one thing.” Janese Banks led the Badgers (8-9, 1-6) with 18 points while Jolene Anderson had 16 and freshman forward Lin Zastrow had 15, including 13 in the second half. The Badgers, expected to contend for the conference title this season, dropped their fourth straight. Lavender broke a 55-55 tie with a basket and a free throw and Packer hit her fourth 3-pointer of the half for a six-point lead with 6:17 left. “Coach has talked about that to me for a long time about setting the defense a little bit further out and it will help me on the perimeter more because they have to play me a little bit softer,” Packer said. The Badgers twice got within three, but Shavelle Little drove through traffic for a layup as she was fouled. She made the free throw to make it 69-63 and Lavender added a layup off a pass from Ashlee Trebilcock. Wisconsin was down 36-29 at halftime but went on a run to tie the score before Packer hit a 3-pointer to spark the Buckeyes to a 55-48 lead with 9:47 left. Banks then keyed another comeback with a 3-pointer and a layup off a steal followed by a basket from Zastrow to even the score at 55. Ohio State was 28-of 58 from the fieldr and made 7-of-12 3-pointers. Wisconsin made 29-of-76 field goals and was 5-of-16 from 3-point range. The Badgers led in rebounds, 42-40, including a 23-14 advantage in offensive rebounds. Stone said he players are hanging tough despite their recent woes. “There are a lot of people surprised by our record, as I am,” Stone said. “We’re not off to the start we want but we’re battling and battling. We’ve got a good basketball team. I believe it, my players believe it.”